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Airport Express
The Airport Express is one of the lines of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) serving Hong Kong. It links the principal urban areas of Hong Kong to Hong Kong International Airport and the associated AsiaWorld-Expo exhibition and convention centre. Although a part of the MTR system, the Airport Express is not primarily a rapid transit or metro line. Instead, it provides premium fare express service to and from the airport and exhibition centre every 12 minutes, using specially designed rolling stock intended to provide similar levels of comfort to that found on an airliner. The average maximum speed between stations is 130 kilometres per hour. The Airport Express line is the only rail link to the airport's terminal area. However, it is paralleled for most of its length by the Tung Chung Line, a more traditional rapid transit line. The Tung Chung line diverges from the Airport Express line just south of the channel between Lantau Island and Chek Lap Kok island (on which the airport was constructed), and terminates in the adjacent Tung Chung new town. From here bus links serve the various areas of the airport, including the passenger terminals. The journey from Hong Kong Station to the airport takes 24 minutes. The line is indicated in the colour teal on MTR system maps. History In October 1989, the Hong Kong government decided to replace the over-crowded Kai Tak Airport, located in Kowloon, with a new airport to be constructed at Chek Lap Kok. The government also invited the MTR, then called the MTRC, to build an express line to the airport called the Lantau Airport Railway. The project did not begin until the Chinese government and the British government settled financial and land disagreements in November 1994. The Lantau Airport Railway was developed as two separate MTR lines, the Tung Chung Line and the Airport Express, with the two lines sharing tracks for parts of their journey. The Airport Express began service on 6 July 1998, the same date as the new Hong Kong International Airport, and initially terminated at Airport Station. The journey time on the initial line was 23 minutes. With the opening of Sunny Bay Station on the adjacent Tung Chung Line in June 2005, the total journey time between the Airport and Hong Kong Stations increased to 24 minutes. With the opening of AsiaWorld-Expo, Airport Express was extended to AsiaWorld-Expo Station on 20 December 2005. The journey time to this station from Hong Kong is 28 minutes. Route The Airport Express line runs from Hong Kong Station in the Central and Western District, crossing under the harbour to West Kowloon, where it serves Kowloon Station. The line then runs along the western side of the Kowloon peninsula, and crosses by bridge to Tsing Yi Island where it serves Tsing Yi Station. From here the line crosses the major Tsing Ma Bridge before running along the northern shore of Lantau Island to Airport Station before terminating at AsiaWorld-Expo Station. The line shares tracks with the Tung Chung Line in the cross-harbour tunnel between Hong Kong and Kowloon stations, and again from Tsing Yi station for most of the rest of its route. It runs on separate tracks alongside the Tung Chung line between Kowloon and Tsing Yi, and in the area of Sunny Bay Station (only served by Tung Chung line trains) on the northern coast of Lantau Island. Just before reaching the airport, the two lines diverge at a flying junction. The two lines have their own tracks and platforms at all stations. Features The Airport Express features a more comfortable environment than the MTR's other operations and are designed specifically for airline passengers. There is a baggage hold beside each door, and each seat is equipped with in-seat loudspeakers for listening to current news, advertisements and announcements showing on the LCD television in front. The Airport Express has a more spacious environment and more passenger-friendly compartments and stations. Airport Express passengers can check-in for flights for selected airlines and receive boarding passes for flights at the Hong Kong and Kowloon Stations, with no extra cost. There are free Airport Express shuttle bus services at the Hong Kong and Kowloon Stations, travelling to several major hotels in Hong Kong Island, Yau Tsim Mong District, and also to Hung Hom Station. Free porter service is also available at all stations except AsiaWorld-Expo to help passengers with baggage. Fare structure Fares for the Airport Express are substantially higher than main line fares. Single trips from the Hong Kong, Kowloon and Tsing Yi Stations to Airport Station (and vice-versa) cost HK$100, HK$90 and HK$60 respectively. Apart from single tickets, same-day return tickets (same price as a single), and one-month return tickets are also available. Some of these tickets are available from all MTR stations and MTR online booking service. As of December 2005, a trip on the Airport Express from Hong Kong Station to the Airport or AsiaWorld-Expo Station costs HK$100, $50 concessionary rate. The rate for a one-month return ticket is HK$180. Discounts are available for group travellers of 2-4. Hong Kong residents can also obtain discount coupons, such as those sent from credit card companies. Same-day return discount will be given to Octopus Card users who have stayed in AsiaWorld-Expo for at least 2 hours. The discounted fare costs HK$72 from Hong Kong Station, and includes free connection to other MTR lines. A single-trip from Airport to AsiaWorld-Expo station is HK$5. The Airport Station does not have any turnstiles or gate barriers separating the paid and unpaid zones of the station. Airport Express passengers using Octopus cards can connect the MTR urban lines for free, right before or after the Airport Express journey. There are various promotions as well, such as Group Ticket Discount, free taxi connections, Rewarding program, Asia Miles program, etc. Passengers may also buy discounted tickets from some local travel agents. In March 2010 the MTR began moves to phase out the magnetic tickets used for single, group, and multiple journey tickets, replacing them with new "smart tickets" that contain a memory chip. The new system was in full operation by June 5, 2010. These new tickets are advertised as: * "touch" the smart tickets to the processor on the entry gates, * "go" on their way, and * "recycle" the used tickets by dropping it a recycle boxes at Airport Express stations. Due to the high fares and small catchment areas of the Airport Express stations; some travellers may instead choose to either use the cheaper, local Tung Chung Line combined with a bus route, or make their entire journey by bus. Patronage on the Airport Express is cannibalised by the Tung Chung Line running mostly on the same track. Image:AEL Adult toAWE SJT.jpg|A standard single journey ticket towards Asia-World Expo Image:AEL Adult toCity SJT.jpg|A standard single journey ticket towards Hong Kong Image:AEL Groupof2.jpg|A "Group of 2" single journey ticket from Hong Kong Station Morning Express Service The Morning Express Servicehttp://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/whatsnew/images/Morning_final.pdf is a special promotional service, allowing passengers from Tsing Yi and Kowloon stations travel to Hong Kong Station everyday (excluding Sundays and Public Holidays) from 7am to 10am for HK$20. Operations The Airport Express line is served by 184 "A-Stock" Bombardier Metro cars and CAF.http://www.caf.es/ingles/productos/proyecto.php?cod=1&id=287&sec=descPress release with information regarding Airport Express This is a list of all the stations on the Airport Express. Rivals Two bus companies offer airport-connection bus services with lower prices, greater cover of local destinations. *Cityflyer, operated by Citybus *Long Win Bus, a KMB company See also * MTR * Transport in Hong Kong * List of areas of Hong Kong References External links *Official Website of Airport Express Category:MTR lines Hong Kong Category:Railway lines opened in 1998 de:Airport Express (Hongkong) ko:공항 고속선 (MTR) ja:機場快線 fi:Airport Express (MTR) zh-yue:機場快綫 zh:機場快綫